Introduction to Novel Course

Study Notes

Introduction to the Course

The course aims to introduce students to the art of a novel, covering its main elements such as characterization, plot, setting, climax, conflict, etc.
Students will learn to identify and differentiate between various types of novels based on their topics.
The course provides a theoretical background to introduce students to a wide range of literary and critical terminology, enhancing their critical appreciation of the works under study.

Critical and Literary Key Terms

Fiction

Fiction is any writing that relates imagined characters and occurrences rather than real ones.
Narrowly defined, fiction refers to prose narratives (specifically short stories and novels) rather than verse or non-narrative prose.

Antagonist

An antagonist is the character pitted against the protagonist (main character) of a work.
An antagonist is not necessarily a villain, but may be evil or cruel.

Autobiography

An autobiography is a narrative account written by an individual that purports to depict their life and character.
Autobiographies are written for a public audience and are distinguished from diaries and journals, which are kept for private use.

Biography

A biography is a written account of a person's life from birth to death, aiming to elucidate facts and draw a coherent picture of their self, personality, or character.
Biographies differ from autobiographies (where individuals depict their own lives) and memoirs (where individuals render an account of people and events they have experienced).

Epistolary Novel

An epistolary novel is a novel whose plot is developed through letters, either through an exchange between multiple characters or the correspondence of one character.
This form provides immediacy to the narrative and allows for the revelation of intimate, private thoughts of characters.

Characterization

Characterization refers to the means by which an author describes and develops characters in a literary work.
Characters can be flat (types or caricatures defined by a single idea or quality) or round (having three-dimensional complexity like real people).
Characters can also be divided into static (unchanged throughout the work) or dynamic (changing in response to circumstances and experience).
Characterization is intertwined with plot, as believable characters are necessary for a convincing plot.

Conflict

Conflict is a confrontation or struggle between opposing characters or forces in a narrative work, driving the action and plot.
Conflict can be physical (clashing with nature or the physical world), social (between humans competing or struggling against each other or society), or internal/psychological (involving inner divisions or turmoil).

Climax

Climax is the point of greatest tension or emotional intensity in a plot.
Climax is often the point at which the conflict reaches its greatest height and the crisis or turning point in the action occurs.
Climax can be distinguished from crisis, which refers to the structural element of plot, whereas climax also signifies the height of emotional response evoked in the audience.

Crisis

Crisis is the moment in a plot when the conflict has intensified to a level at which the protagonist's lot will change decisively, either for the better or for the worse.
Crisis is sometimes called the turning point, as it represents the pivotal moment when the protagonist's fortunes begin to turn.

Description

This course provides an introduction to the art of novel, covering its main elements such as characterization, plot, setting, and conflict. Students will learn to identify different types of novels based on their topics.